The "Reporters Without Borders" international organization has released their annual Press Freedom Index 2012-2013, where 179 states were surveyed and Mongolia ranked at 98th, compared to last year's report, Mongolia up scaled by two places.

The same three European countries that headed the index last year hold the top three positions again this year. For the third year running, Finland (1) has distinguished itself as the country that most respect media freedom. It is followed by the Netherlands (2) and Norway (3). Although much criteria is considered, ranging from legislation to violence against journalists, democratic countries occupy the top of the index while dictatorial countries occupy the last three positions. Again, it is the same three as last year – Turkmenistan (177), North Korea (178) and Eritrea (179).

As of our two neighbors: China (173rd, +1) shows no sign of improving. Its prisons still hold many journalists and netizens, while increasingly unpopular Internet censorship continues to be a major obstacle to access information and Russia (148th, -6) has fallen again due to Vladimir Putin’s return to the presidency, repression has been stepped up in response to an unprecedented wave of opposition protests, according to the report.

Coinciding with the release of its 2013 Press Freedom Index, Reporters Without Borders is for the first time publishing an annual global “indicator” of worldwide media freedom. This new analytic tool measures the overall level of freedom of information in the world and the performance of the world’s governments in their entirety as regards to this key freedom. In view of the emergence of new technologies and the interdependence of governments and peoples, the freedom to produce and circulate news and information needs to be evaluated at the planetary as well as national level.